High-capacity friction-buffer.



1. F. OCONNOR.

HIGH CAPACITY FRICTION BUFFER.

APPLICATION FILED MMI. I8l I9I5.

1,203,248. Patented Oct. 31,1916.

IN VEN TOR.

W1 TNESSES MFdlz/zar A TTORNE Y wars frans co.. Pncmunm wsumamu, n c

` UNITED sinds f l JoIrNr. oooNNoR, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIeNoR To WILLIAM'H. M Innn; or j VoHezY, NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

HIGH-GAPACITYrnrc'rronnrrnn. l

- Application filed March18, 1915. p Serial No. 15,342.

TooZZ .whom toten/concern: 'i v Be it known thatl, JOHN F. OCoNNoR,

a citizenof .the United States, residing at Chicago, in the Vcounty ofY Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in vHigh-Capacity' Fric-Y tion-Buers, .of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and .exact l description, reference being .had to the s accompanying drawings, forming a Apart of this specification.

This invention relates ,toimprovements in high .capacity friction buffers. Y,

An object .of the invention is to provide a buifer for railway cars ,and having a preliminary spring action and a high capacity combined spring and friction main shock -absorbing action. V Y Another object of the invention is to pro- -vide ,a shockabsorbing member Yhaving a main shock .absorbing element vand apreliminary spring element -so arranged Athat the preliminary spring elementis actuated separately prior to the actuation of the main shock absorbing. means and .alsoV simultaneously withthe actuation of the latter. Y

The invention furthermore consists in the improvements in the parts vand devices and in the novel combinations of the parts and devices, as herein shown, .described orV claimed. y

Figure lfis a longitudinal, horizontal sec tional vview of a bulierv embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken on .the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; andFig. '3 is a viewV similar to1Fig2 taken on the line 3??) .of Fig. 1.

In'the drawing forminga part of this specification, 10 Ydenotes la :fixed .abutment said wall or partition 16 beinglocatedaaV substantialV distance from the .outer .end 17 of the .casting 11 to thereby form a chamber within which are mounted three parallelly arranged Y preliminary springs l18e-18. Mounted 1n each combined spring and friction chamber 14 is a spring v19 land friction devices comprising a plurality of friction shoes 20, wedge 21 and spring Vcap or fol-.I

lower 2,2, the4 latter having. a `cup shaped portion 23 1n which is Yseated the'endof a tube 241, the tubes 2.4 being disposed axially ofthe springs 19 kand having their louter .ends passing through perforations 25 p. in *i The outerends .of the the partition 16. tubes .24 bear against a movable follower or partition 26 which isnormally seated against the relatively fixed partition 16` and Patented oet. 3i, 1916;

is so formed as to provide three seats for A thethree Vpreliminary* springs 18-18.` In the spring chamber, 15 is mounted a main sp1-mg 27 bearingrat one end against the partition 16 and at its opposite end against aV plate 28 which is retained in position byy a bolt y29 Aextending through perfo-rations in the partition 16 and plate 26, the head yof Other retaining bolts 30 are provided which extend through the frictionV devices, thehol-l low 'tubes 24 and perforations in .the fol--` lower 26. On its inner face, the follower 12 is provided with an inwardly extending flange 31 .corresponding in shape to the '75 the bolt being seated in aV recessin the latter;

contour of vthe Acasting ,11- and lin which ,it

`is telescoped. A projecting rib 32 s urrounds thefollower 12 and is adapted to engage the outer edge 17 of the casting 11 to .thereby limit the relative approachlof lthe HOWQITJQ and CitSlIlg be Y fY apparent from an inspection of Fig. 1 under normal conditions kthe distance -be tween the edge 17 and the rib 32 is less than the distance between thei-nner ledge of partition :26 and the uIlCtOn appear hereinafter.

The l.operation is as follows:

Athe flange 31 and the follower-or movable n y of this will j V95 wardmovement of the buffer stem 13, the f follower 12 is moved inwardly thereby con1 I pressing the springslSbetween it and the vcasting. 11 .which is held relatiafelyfvstationary during this period of the operation, .due Y to :the greater resistanoeQof the main spring Y and friction mechanisms. This independent movement of the follower' l2 continues until it engages the outer edge of the casting 1l whereupon the latter moves in unison,

with the follower 1Q. As the casting now moves inwardly, the wedges of the friction mechanisms remain stationary and the friction shells slide over the friction shoes, the pressure gradually increasing, due to the increasing pressure of the springs 19 against the shoes through the spring caps 22. As will be understood, the longitudinal movement of the friction shoes 20 is very slight and consequently the tubes :Zelf-2li will also be held practically stationary. This prevents inward movement of the movable partition 26 and consequently during the movement of the Ycasting 11 the preliminary springs 18 kare thereby compressed and the final limit of their Vcompression is atta-ined when the inner edge of the fiange 31 comes in Contact with the follower 26, which in actual practice will be so designed as to be simultaneous with the engagement of the inner edge 33 of the casting 1l with the Y abutment 10. During the above described operation it is, of course, apparent that the spring l5 is being also compressed.

Although I have herein shown and described in vdetail what I lnow consider the preferred embodiment of my improvement, yet it will be understood that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and all such changes and modifications are contemplated as come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim l. In a buer, the combination with a plurality of friction and main spring chambers arranged side by side, of spring and friction mechanism in Yeach friction chamber, av spring in the main spring chamber, and preliminary springs outside 4of said friction and main spring chambers.

2. In a buffer, the combination with a casing having two integral outside friction shells and a central spring chamber arranged parallelly, of spring and friction mechanism in each shell, a spring in the spring chamber, and means for actuating the friction mechanism and spring simultaneously.

3. In a shock absorbing device, the combination with two telescoped members, one of which is provided with a friction shell and a partition fixed with respect thereto, of friction devices mounted within said shell, a-spring between said devices and said relatively fixed partition, a preliminary spring between said telescoped members, said preliminary spring being compressed a predetermined amount prior to the. actuation of the friction mechanism, and means for contively fixed partition, a preliminary spring between said telescoped members, said pre# liminary spring being compressed a predetermined amount prior to the actuation of the friction mechanism, and means for con# tinuing the compression of said preliminary spring during the actuation of the friction devices, said means including a movable partition between said fixed partition and adjacent end of the preliminary spring, and a plunger between said movable partition and the friction devices.

5. In a shock absorbing device, the combination with a casting `having a combined friction shell and spring chamber closed at one end, of friction devices coperable with said shell, a spring between said devices and the closed end of the shell, a follower, a

preliminary spring between said follower and said closed end, means limiting the rel ative approach of said follower and said casting, and means for contlnuing the compression of the preliminary spring after the relative approach of said follower and casting has ceased and while thefriction mechanism is being actuated.Y

G. In a shock absorbing device, the combination with a casting having a combined friction shell and spring chamber closedat one end, of friction devices coperable with said shell, a spring between said devices and the closed endl of the shell, a follower, a preliminary spring between said follower and said closed end, means limiting the relative approach of said follower and said casting, and means for continuing the compression of the preliminary spring after the relative approach of said follower and casting has ceased and while the friction mechanism is being actuated, said means including a movable follower between said closed end of the shell and adjacent end of the preliminary spring and a rigid member interposed between said last named follower and the friction devices. u Y

7. In a buffer, the combination with'y a 1 fixed abutment, of a follower, a bodily movable casting having a plurality of friction shells formed therein, friction devices cooperable with said shells, preliminary springs between said casting and said follower, and means for compressing said preliminary springs during the movement .of said casting.

8. In a buffer, the combination with a casting, of a follower telescoped with said and means for compressing said preliminary casting, preliminary springs between said springs after the relative approach of said 10 casting and said follower, means limiting follower and casting has ceased. the relative approach of said ollower and v casting, friction shells formed integrally JOHN F' O CONNOR with said casting and arranged parallelly, Witnesses: friction devices Within said shells, a main CARRIE G. RANZ, spring mounted between said friction shells, GEORGIE VIGKERY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

